Disney brings fun, glamour to new park foods

Disney California Adventure opened in 2001 as an "off the shelf" theme park – outfitted with Golden State-themed carnival rides and unoriginal food brands. The cookie cutter park offered dining tied to overhyped culinary names such as Wolfgang Puck and Robert Mondavi, whose concepts didn't resonate with visitors confused by the un-Disney like venue.

Eventually, Mondavi and Puck pulled their names from the park.

Click the photo to see amazing new food choices

"We couldn't make any money," Puck told The Register in 2009 about his failed Disney food partnership.

From the moment it opened, Disney officials have scrambled to make adjustments at the ill-timed new theme park. (It opened the same year as 9/11.) The biggest overhaul comes Friday when Disney unveils the last phase of a $1.1 billion fix-it-job that infuses more "Disney DNA" in two new park sections – Cars Land and Buena Vista Street.

Storytelling, Disney officials promise, will take center stage – and the food is no exception.

New dining venues will have Route 66-inspired "crooked" pies, cone-shaped foods and treats, funky high-octane cocktails and Balboa-style ice cream bars. The makeover also includes the debut of a glamorous, 1920s-era fine dining restaurant. The opulent Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge promises top-notch service, modern eclectic dishes and retro cocktails – some made tableside for exclusive guests.

The 256-seat restaurant features a farm-to-table menu by Andrew Sutton of Napa Rose – considered one of Orange County's best fine dining establishments.

"This is the highest level signature restaurant we've built at any theme park," said Gary Maggetti, Disneyland Resort's food and beverage general manager.

During media tours over the past few weeks, several Southern California reporters got a sneak peek of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. Here's an overview of the food and drinks found in each.

Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street is California Adventure's version of Disneyland's Main Street USA – an intricately designed entrance made to replicate Los Angeles in the 1920s. A bulk of the park's new dining venues are here – Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, Mortimer's Market, Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice Cream, Trolley Treats, Carthay Circle Restaurant, Carthay Lounge and 1901 (a private dining area for high level Club 33 members). The key landmark of the land is Carthay Circle Theater, a structure modeled after the Los Angeles theater where "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered in 1937.

The two-story Spanish revival building, with a tower that soars to nearly 90 feet, is positioned at the top of Buena Vista. Disney officials are calling it California Adventure's version of the slightly shorter "Sleeping Beauty Castle." The lofty landmark is home to three dining venues.

Disney officials say every "nook and cranny" was considered when building Carthay – from the sconces to the tile work. The restaurant's interior replicates the original theater's carpet design, woodwork and ironwork.

The menu loosely pays homage to classic dishes of the 1920s, while adding necessary modern twists to make each dish relevant for today's finicky foodie. For example, Sutton uses flank steak in the Cobb Salad and panko fried chicken livers for the "Liver and Onions" dish. Other menu items include sushi-grade yellowtail, quail, ceviche, udon noodles, duck wings and wild and farm-raised fish.

When developing the menu, Sutton said he walked the park to see what foods were missing at California Adventure.

"I tried to see what the need was, and the biggest thing was freshness," Sutton said.

Not to be short-changed, the kids menu features selections for up to three courses ranging in price from $5 to $13 at lunch and dinner. Some entree choices include Sloppy Joes, Chicken Schnitzel, fish of the day and a petite filet.

Sutton said the children's menu was designed so the kids have "the same experience as the adults." It also underscores Carthay's main philosophy: "It's about families and sharing."

Carthay's ground level dining features a public lounge and a private dining area for Club 33 members.

For those seeking lighter meals, and slightly smaller prices, the lounge menu offers snacks such as sushi rolls, tacos and sliders.

Like the food, the booze selection offers a mix of contemporary and classic touches.

Top-shelf drinks include Walt Disney's favorite, Scotch Mist, plus a well-thought out selection of craft beers and 35 wines by the glass. For various cocktails, Disney plans to use three types of ice – cubed, crushed or sphere.

Adding an element of entertainment and pampering, Carthay bartenders will prepare the restaurant's house martini and Manhattan cocktails tableside for 1901 guests and anyone seated at the public bar. 1901 is a private dining room for Club 33 members with platinum level access.

"We're going back to mixology – think James Bond," Carthay's general manager Jose Barragan said of the bar's retro drinks.

Along Buena Vista Street, visitors can grab quick-service meals, treats and drinks from Mortimer's, Clarabelle's, Candy Treats and Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café. The café – named after the Three Little Pigs – is one of the few new dining spots where Disney's promise of authenticity is tossed aside. The cafe will be home to the first of six Starbucks cafes opening at Disney theme parks in Anaheim and Florida.

The menu will feature an uninspired mix of Starbucks and Disney foods, including espressos, Frappuccino blended beverages, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and deli sandwiches. As a token gesture, baristas will be dressed in period attire.

Mortimer's Market – named after Mickey Mouse's original moniker – will be a fruit and beverage kiosk. Clarabelle's will serve ice cream in waffle cones, sundaes and hand-dipped chocolate bars made with Dreyer's ice cream. Dreyer's is found at scoop shops throughout both parks, so nothing entirely new here except the Balboa-style bars, which can be topped with pop rocks and sprinkles.

Cars Land

While Buena Vista Street revives a bygone era, Cars Land brings to life the fictitious Radiator Springs from the beloved Pixar animated movie. Top Disney executives – including Michele Gendreau, director of Food and Beverage for Walt Disney Parks & Resort – spent a whirlwind trip on Route 66 for inspiration.

The wacky-looking chili bowl likely will be one of the most unique food items sold in the park. The chili is served with a hearty bread bowl made to look like a roadside cone.

The pork loin is topped with a Coca-Cola infused barbecue sauce – a version of which can be found in the baked beans. We sampled three versions of Flo's "ugly crust" pies – individual treats with crooked crusts inspired by a Texas café. The apple cheddar was a favorite.

One standout item was Red's Apple Freeze at the Cozy Cone Motel – five "wigwam" food stands that sell cone-themed treats. The frozen chiller is made with apple juice, toasted marshmallow syrup and topped with a passion-fruit mango foam. It's reminiscent of the yummy Butterbeer drink at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando – one of my favorite theme park drinks.

Not to be outdone by Carthay in the booze department, Flo's and the Cozy Cone Motel will serve specialty cocktails and beer from Anaheim Brewery and Bear Republic Brewery. High-octane pomegranate and limeade frozen drinks with vodka also will be sold at the Cozy Cone Motel.

Final thoughts

As a longtime Disney pass holder, I've witnessed the ups and downs of California Adventure. But I've always thought the food was the one bright spot at the park. Award Wieners, Corn Dog Castle and Ariel's Grotto have been fan favorites for years. Last year, Disney improved the food choices by scrapping McDonald's in favor of Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill, which both offer tastier and healthier meal choices.

From what I've experienced so far at Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, the new foods balance out the rest of the park. They're fun, comforting, and occasionally glamorous – and I can't wait to go back for more.

Getting in: Disney started taking reservations for Carthay in early May. As of last week, the 256-seat restaurant is booked for dinner through most of June. Disney food officials suggest visitors check out walk-in availability at lunch, where bookings have been lighter. No reservations are required in the public lounge, which offers a menu of gourmet snacks and top-shelf cocktails.

World of Color dining deal: Disney is offering a center stage ticket to the World of Color water show to diners who order one entrée and one appetizer or a dessert and entrée. To put this perk in perspective, the tab for a halibut entrée and seasonal soup is $44. Remember, that qualifies for one ticket. If you have a child, the children's menu offers starter, entrée and dessert courses ranging in price from $5 to $13 at lunch and dinner.

Fireworks tip: See if you can time your dinner during Disneyland fireworks. The north terrace tables in the 56-seat patio have a view of the nighttime show.

Reservation line: 714-781-DINE

California Adventure Food History

Back then: The fast-food venues at Disney California Adventure (35, by our count) were creative in 2001. Unlike the uninspired foods served at Disneyland, the new Golden State-themed park served baked potatoes in carts, half a dozen types of French fries (waffle, happy face, shoestring), Boudin bowls, smoothies and surfboard-shaped pizzas. And let's not forget the booze. DCA visitors can imbibe dozens of wines by the glass, margaritas and specialty and domestic beers – a perk not offered to frazzled adults at Disneyland. Over the years, some dining venues have been tweaked or eliminated. Burger Invasion (aka McDonald's), Mission Tortilla Factory and Oom Mow Mow restaurants are gone. Two sit-down restaurants by Wolfgang Puck and Robert Mondavi have long been rebranded.

Now: Joined by some tasty newcomers, a handful of the park's original restaurants remain. Passholder favorites and hidden gems include Corn Dog Castle, Award Wieners, Taste Pilots' Grill and the Cove Bar. The year-old Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill have given the park a long overdue jolt of healthier meals.